Hosiery and method of production



April 6, 1954 R- ,E PR|MM 2,674,111

HOSIERY AND METHOD OF' PRODUCTION Filed July 3, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet lFiled July 5 1951 April 6, 1954 R, E, PRMM 2,674,111 HOSIERY AND METHOD0F' PRODUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ffaa lli ff i STITCH POINT K NVENTOR:@nahm/fz,

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April 6, 1954 R. E. PRIMM 2,574,111

HOSIERY AND METHOD OF PRODUCTION Filed July 3, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3April 6, 1954 R, E PRlMM 2,674,111

HOSIERY AND METHOD OF PRODUCTION Filed July 5, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 4INVENTOR.- agU/z E. Pfff/m2 Patented Apr. 6, 1954 HOSIERY AND METHOD FPRODUCTION Ralph E. Primm, Rome, Ga., assignor to Rome Hosiery Mills,Rome, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application July 3, 1951, Serial No.234,981

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates to hosiery and methods ofproduction. More specifically, it is concerned with self-supportingseamlessl hosiery wherein elastic yarn is incorporated in the topportion so that the latter will bind upon the leg of the wearer andthereby hold the stocking in place without necessitating the aid ofaseparate garter.

O-ne of the aims of my invention is to provide an improved stocking ofthe kind referred to in which the elastic yarn is embodied in accordionstitching in such a way as to form a smooth antifravel selvage edge, andto be interlaced in spaced subsequent courses with absence of step downfloats between successive rounds.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple method wherebyhosiery with a top having the above attributes, can be economicallyproduced by standard forms of circular knitting machines of the multiplefeed type equipped with suitable needle selecting means.

How the foregoing and other important objects and advantages arerealized in practice will appear from the following detailed descriptionof the attached drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a self-supporting halfhose or sock with an elastic top conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the portion of the fabric of the socktop within the confines of the broken line rectangle II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in plan, of a circular knitting machinearranged for the production of my improved hosiery.

Figs. 4-6 are views like Fig. 3 showing how the yarn feeds aresuccessively introduced at the start of the knitting.

Figs. 7 and S are linear developments of the needle and jack actuatingcams showing how the inelastic and elastic yarns are fed to the needlesduring the knitting of different portions of the top of the sock.

Except for the formation of its top 5, the sock illustrated in Fig. 1may be of the usual seamless construction, with its leg and instepportions 6 and 'I of plain fabric produced by rotary knitting, and itsheel and toe 9 fashioned by oscillatory knitting in the well knownmanner.

In accordance with my invention, several inelastic (in. this instancetwo) yarns and a covered elastic yarn are employed in forming the top asan accordion stitch fabric, these yarns being designated Il), l I and I2respectively in Figs. 2 8. In Fig. 2, the needle and sinker wales of thetop fabric are indicated by the characters N, N and S' respectively. Thestarting course I3 of the top fabric is knitted from the inelastic yarnI0 with regular loops n thereof in alternate needle wales N and withelongated loops n thereof in the intervening needle wales N'. As shown,the elastic yarn I2 extends continuously through all of the sinker waleloops s of the first course I3 to produce a non-ravel or selvage edge.The second course I4 of the top fabric is formed from the inelastic yarnI I with regular or normal loops n2 in alternate needle wales N only,and said loops connected by floats which extend crosswise behind theelongated loops n of the inelastic yarn I0. The third course I5 of thetop fabric is formed, like the first course, from the inelastic yarn I0,and the fourth course I like the second course, from the inelastic yarnI I, with the elastic yarn l2 interlaced between interconnectingelongated loops n. of the inelastic yarn I0. The fth and sixth coursesI1 and I8 respectively, are formed throughout by regular loops of theinelastic yarns I0 and II with the elastic yarn I2 interlaced betweenthe regular loops of said yarns Ill and I I in the wales N at theregions of interconnection of said regular loops, The remaining coursesof the top fabric are all formed like the courses I I and I 8. It willof course be understood that in the actual fabric, the elongated loopsof the inelastic yarn I0 are more contracted than as diagrammaticallyshown in Fig. 2, and therefore tend to draw together the selvaged edgeportion of the stocking top marginally. As the result, the loose ends ofyarns I0, II and I2 are locked or anchored against pulling out when thefabric is stretched as the stocking is drawn over the foot of thewearer. This locking or anchoring of the loose yarn ends is especiallyeffective b-y reason of the accordion stitch formation of the selvagefrom the two inelastic or foundation .yarns I0 4and I I. `If acontractile selvage edge only is desired at the top of the stocking, theelastic yarn can be omitted from the knitting shortly after thecompletion of the iirst course I3.

My improved method of knitting can be readily carried out in a so calledmultiple feed circular machine arranged as diagrammatically illustratedon Figs. 3 8 of the drawings, the same having a needle cylinder which,except during fashioning of the stocking heel and toe, is continuallyrotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in said figures. At astation A is the usual master group of knitting cams which includes mainstitch cam 2l, an auxiliary main stitch cam 22, a center cam 23 and aguard cam 24. Disposed in quadrant relation to station A is a secondknitting station B with a stitch cam 25 and an associated needleelevation cam 26.

At a station C, approximately one hundred and eighty degrees from thestation B, is a needle depressing cam 21. For needle selecting purposes,the machine is further provided with a series of jacks 30, one beneatheach alternate needle 3l, as well as with cams 32 and 33 for actuatingsaid jacks. Adjacent auxiliary stitch cam 22 is a special withdrawabledepressing cam 35 which plays an important part in the knitting of thestocking top as do also the cam at 36 and the rise at 31, as willpresently be seen.

One of the usual retractable multiple yarn feeding ngers designated 4Dat the throat (Figs. 3 and 6) at station A of the machine, I employ toserve the inelastic yarn Il. At the second knitting station B, above cam25, a retractable ringer 4| is used to feed the inelastic yarn Il), andat station C above the region of depressing cam 21, I have provided aretractable finger 42 for feeding the elastic yarn |2. In Figs. 3-6, thealternate needles 3| are indicated by solid circles and in Figs. 7 and 8by heavy lines so as to be readily distinguishable from the interveningneedles 3|a.

The method of producing the sock of Fig. l in accordance with myinvention is as follows:

With the cylinder 29 rotating counterclockwise as indicated by the arrowin Fig. 3, and with the needles all bare, the elastic yarn feed 42 isthe first to be introduced. As the needles approach station C, thealternate ones 3| are elevated, as shown in Fig. 7, by action of the cam32 upon the associated jacks 30 to receive the elastic yarn I2 withintheir hooks, after which they are lowered to a level slightly above thetuck level by cam 21, while the intermediate jack-less needles 3| passat the tuck level and miss said yarn. A little further along in thedirection of cylinder rotation, all of the needles are elevated somewhatby cam 3S with the result that the intermediate needles 3 la pass up tothe front of the elastic yarn I as exaggeratedly shown in Fig. 3. Whenthe needle 3|a of the intermediate series immediately in advance of theleading needle L 3| of the alternate series 3| approaches station B, thefinger M is introduced as shown in Fig. 4. At station B all of theneedles are raised to the latch clearing level by cam 26 as in Fig. 7,to take the inelastic yarn I3 and then knit the same as they are loweredto the stitch drawing level by cam 25. Thus, at station B, loops of theinelastic yarn are drawn by adjacent needles to opposite sides of theelastic yarn |2 to form the accordion stitch non-ravel or selvage edgereferred to hereinbefore in connection with Fig. 2. After passing understitch cam 25, the alternate needles 3| are elevated to latch clearinglevel by the action of cam 33 upon the associated jacks 3D so that theirbutts will subsequently overtravel cam 35. At the same time, theintermediate needles 3|a are elevated to the tuck level as they ride upcam 31, but after passing over the hump of the latter they are diverteddownwardly by cam 35 to undertravel auxiliary stitch cam 22 of the maincam group as shown in Fig. 7, while the alternate needles l3| overtravelsaid cam 22. As needle L 3| approaches station A, the linger 40 isintroduced as in Fig. to feed the inelastic yarn to the alternateneedles 3| which, after underpassing center cam 23, are drawn down bystitch cam 2| to knit said yarn. Since, in traversing station A, theintermediate needles 3|a are maintained at the stitch holding level byguard cam 2t, they fail to take the inelastic yarn i but retain theloops of the inelastic yarn |0 previously formed on them at station B.As the intermediate needles 3|a are elevated slightly together with thealternate needles 3| by the cam rise at 34, they pass up to the front ofthe oats connecting the loops n2 of the second course of the knitting(Fig. 2) formed upon the latter needles at station A. After completionof somewhat more than a single rotation of needle cylinder 20 to formthe accordion stitch selvage, cam 35 is withdrawn from action, with theresult that after having undertraveled cam and moved up on the rise 31,all of the needles will be at the latch clearing level as in Fig. 8. Asthey continue on, all of the needles overtravel auxiliary stitch cam 22to receive the inelastic yarn at station A, and finally knit said yarnas they are drawn down to the stitch forming level by cams 23 and 2| atstation A. During the second revolution of the cylinder, the elasticyarn |2 will again be taken by alternate needles as before at station C,and inelastic yarn I!) will be knitted at station B by alternate needlesbut, due to retraction of cam upon completion of the selvage edge,fabric loops will thereafter be formed from the inelastic yarns if] andI on all of the needles at stations B and A to produce two feed fabricwith the elastic yarn interlaced between interconnecting plain loops ofsaid inelastic yarns in adjacent courses.

The alternate long loops of yarn I0 in the selvage edge portion of Fig.2 are occasioned by failure of the intervening needles 3|a to knit atstation A in Fig. 7, and the oats of the yarn |i through knitting ofsaid yarn by the alternate needles alone at said station. By employingtwo inelastic yarns and using two knitting stations in the machine asherein exemplified, it will be seen that the rounds of the elastic yarni2 will be spaced by two courses throughout the stocking top 5.

After an elastic top of the desired length has been formed, the elasticyarn feed 42 may be retracted and the stocking leg and instep producedas a two feed fabric from the inelastic yarns I9 and alone. On the otherhand if single feed plain fabric is preferred in the leg and instep,

this may be had by retracting either the feed 4D or the feed 4| togetherwith the elastic yarn feed 42 as will be readily understood.

My invention is not to be considered as limited to the use of a machinehaving but two inelastic yarns and two sets of knitting cams since moreof such feeds and cams may be provided if desired. In any case, it willbe seen that, in the stocking top, the rounds of the elastic yarn willbe incorporated in coursesrspaced by a number corresponding to thenumber of inelastic yarns employed in the knitting.

As an alternative construction, the knitting of the stocking top may beaccomplished, if desired, as in Fig. 7 without retracting cam 35 (ashereinbefore explained) after the formation of the selvage edge. In suchcase, the top fabric will then be characterized throughout by havingelongated loops of the yarn ID like those designated n in Fig. 2connecting alternate courses, and regular loops n2 of the yarn inalternate wales of intervening courses. The top of the alternativefabric is thus formed throughout as an accordion stitch structureinstead of merely having an accordion stitch selvage as in the firstdescribed embodiment.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a top for a seamless stocking, a starting course of inelastic yarnwith regular plain loops in alternate needle wales and elongated pleinloops in intermediate Wales; a second course with regular plain loops ofanother inelastic yarn interknitted with the regular plain loops of therst course and lloats of said another inelastic yarn extending behindthe elongated plain loops of the rst course; a third course like thestarting course of the rst mentioned yarn with plain regular and plainelongate loops respectively interknitted with corresponding plainregular and plain elongated loops of said starting course; a fourthcourse like the second course having plain regular loops interknittedwith the plain regular loops of the second course, plain elongated loopsinterknitted With the plain elongated loops of the starting course, andfloats passing behind the plain elongated loops of the third course; afth course all of regular plain loops of the lirst mentioned yarninterknitted With the plain elongated loops of the third course and theplain regular loops of the fourth course; following courses all of plainregular loops in which the rst inelastic yarn is alternated With thesecond inelastic yarn; and an elastic yarn extending through all of thesinker Wale loops of the starting course and interlaced in alternatecourses of the remaining portion of the stocking top.

2. A stocking having an elastic top characterized as in claim 1, andhaving its leg and instep portions formed by plain regular loopsalternately from the two inelastic yarns.

3. The method of producing a top for a seamless stocking which comprisesthe steps of forming, from an inelastic yarn, a plain course havingelongated needle Wale loops in alternation with regular needle Waleloops over an elastic yarn so that the latter passes through all of thesinker Wale loops of said inelastic yarn; forming from a secondinelastic yarn, a course in which plain regular needle Wale loops areinterlooped with the regular loops of the rst inelastic yarn andiloating said second yarn behind the plain elongated loops of the rstinelastic yarn; forming, from the rst inelastic yarn, another coursewith regular plain loops interlooped with the plain regular loops of thesecond course and with elongated loops interlooped with the plainelongated loops of the rst course and at the same time interlacing theelastic yarn between the elongated loops only of the rst and thirdcourses; forming a fourth course like the second course from the seondinelastic yarn; forming from the rst inelastic yarn, a fifth course allof regular plain loops and interlacing the elastic yarn between theplain elongated loops of the third course and the cor'- responding plainregular loops of said fth course; and forming plain courses of regularloops from the inelastic yarns in alternation and interlacing theelastic yarn in alternate courses thereafter to complete the stockingtop.

4. The method of producing a stocking by forming a seamless stocking byfirst forming an elastic top in accordance with claim 3 and thereafterknitting the leg and instep of plain courses with regular loopsalternately from the two inelastic yarns, With omission of the elasticyarn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,317,897 Scott Oct. 7, 1919 2,105,987 Primm Jan. 18, 19382,127,780 Marshall Aug. 23, 1938 2,247,343 Fregeolle June 24, 19412,323,988 Fregeolle July 13, 1943 2,344,350 Getaz Mar. 14, 19442,377,489 Getaz June 5, 1945 2,380,768 Lawson July 31, 1945

